Dr. Heidi Nelson is a member of the Mayo Clinic Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and the Fred C. Andersen Professor of Surgery. She is Co-Chair of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), an NCI-designated Cooperative Group which is dedicated to improving the care of the oncology patient through an innovative clinical research program that addresses two aims: 1) to test novel therapies that may increase response rates and cure rates and reduce morbidities and disabilities associated with cancer care; and 2) to conduct basic science studies in conjunction with clinical trials ot better understand the biologic basis of diseases and treatments.

Dr. Nelson's research within Mayo and ACOSOG focuses on scientific endeavors where surgeons can make a difference: 1) providing patient specimens for basic and correlative science studies; 2) providing patient access such as neoadjuvant rectal cancer trials; 3) performing important surgical and targeted therapy trials. On a clinical and translational level, Dr. Nelson has worked on developing novel surgical and multidisciplinary approaches to the management of patients with colon and rectal cancer. She led a multi-institutional NCI-funded, Phase III prospective randomized trial comparing laparoscopic versus open surgery, confirming the benefits and oncologic safety of minimally invasive colon cancer surgery. Ongoing interests include the investigation of the multidisciplinary care of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer including the use of intraoperative radiation therapy. For early stage rectal cancer investigation include the feasibility of laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery and the use of neoadjuvant therapy and local excision to spare patients the need for colostomy.